Even as the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have joined hands in a bid to what they said humble the Congress in the byelections to Bangalore Rural and Mandya Lok Sabha constituencies, the Congress is set to make what it calls an “unholy alliance” between the Opposition parties a poll issue.
Senior Congress leader in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka Digvijay Singh, who held a meeting with the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna here on Thursday, said that it was necessary for the party to defeat the “unholy alliance” of the Janata Dal(S) and the BJP in the State. The party would campaign for candidates under the leadership of Mr. Krishna, KPCC president G. Parameshwara and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said.
Attacking the Janata Dal(S) for joining hands with the BJP, Dr. Parameshwara said that the Janata Dal(S), which once refused to hand over power to the BJP citing secular values, though it headed a coalition government with the latter’s support, had again struck an alliance with the BJP for political convenience.
Dr. Parameshwara said that the party would fight the byelection united. He said, “Disciplinary action will be initiated against those working against the party’s interest.”
‘JD(S) opportunistic’
Mr. Krishna said that he was not surprised by the move of the Janata Dal(S). That party is “opportunistic” and its leaders are experts in defending their ambiguous stand taken from time to time for political convenience, he said.
Meanwhile, the visit of Mr. Digvijay Singh is being seen as an effort to consolidate the party by taking “unhappy” senior leaders into confidence. Mr. Digvijay Singh, after the meeting with Mr. Krishna, said that the party now needs the experience and the guidance of senior political leaders. It may be recalled that Mr. Krishna was upset over the choice of party candidates for the Assembly elections from Mandya constituency.
Mr. Krishna said that he would campaign for the party candidates in the byelection in the two constituencies.
“I will campaign as per the campaign programme chalked out by the party,” he added.
